Moving abroad to live in London is fraught with what if’s and how do I moments. I remember searching online until late in the night many a time working out how I go about getting setup in London. I wanted to know everything before getting here as a way to make sure the transition was as easy as possible for myself. Be it the big things like finding accommodation and getting a job right down to learning how the Tube works, finding wifi and what sim card is best for my iPhone.

As a result of wanting to know that and following in the footsteps of other successful posts (How Much It Cost To Backback Europe and How To Get A Youth Mobility Visa) that were written to answer the questions I once had, I bring you a new series aimed at Getting Setup In London. This time it’s all about making life easier for other travellers looking to take the leap into life here. I’ll answer all the little questions I wanted to know about getting setup in London but couldn’t find out anywhere else until I got here and lived it.

Starting at the beginning, the first thing most people will experience in London is riding the Tube. Grabbing an Oyster card right away will make life easier, save you a few pounds and help you avoid the queues at ticket machines. An Oyster card is the cheapest and easiest way to get around on trains, tubes, bus’s and trams right around London.

Getting a card is as simple as visiting one of the attended train station information windows and handing over a 5 pound deposit (refundable on return of the card). It’s worth adding a few pounds credit to the card to begin with until you become accustomed to the transport system and can work out the best deal for you.

For an idea on just what getting around on London transport costs with your Oyster Card I’ve included some pricing below:

• Zone 1 & 2 Day Travel Pass – £8.40
• Zone 1 & 2 Weekly Travel Pass – £29.20
• Single Bus Journey – £1.35

For a list of all fare costs check out the TFL site which has a really comprehensive breakdown.

One thing worth knowing about the Tube system in London, it’s always breaking down. The Tube is notorious for delays and having several lines over the weekend closed for maintenance and upgrades. To help combat this problem always check the TFL website for status updates over the weekend and know your local bus routes like the back of your hand.

There is also the little case of the Tube network closing for the night around the 12 – 12:30 mark. Many a time I’ve been out enjoying myself and been stuck trying to find my way home via bus because the Tube was closed. While the Tube is great be sure to take note of the many bus lines running all night. You never know when you might need one after a night out drinking pints with your mates.

And for those travelling with iPhones like me, I’ve found a couple of really cool apps that can help with planning and when you get umm… lost. The first is a free app called TubeMap which gives you details about the Tube including a Map, Route Planning and Service Updates to know when a line is not running. This app was much easier to use than the littler paper maps and it helps you look a little less like a tourist on day one.

The second app, Travel Deluxe is an all singing all dancing travel planner. It covers all forms of transport in London and includes a helpful locate me option which you can then use to navigate the best way home no matter what time it is or where you are. This one does cost but really whats a couple of pounds compared to a taxi ride home from who knows where?

And lastly for a humours insight into travelling on the Tube check out this Michael McIntyre video clip. What makes it even funnier is that I’ve seen the things he talks about happen myself.

Photo Credit: tompagenet

If you are planning to stay in Sydney soon then check out Hotel Club Sydney for all your accommodation needs.

Related posts:

1. The London Transport Blues
2. The London Blitz at Aldwych Station

Thanks for checking out my post - Getting Setup In London – Transport. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

Every year Europe is filled with backpackers all cutting their teeth on new countries and adventures that they will always remember so surely they could help me with this. So I googled, and asked people and looked up guide book after guide book trying to answer what I thought was a simple question.

How much does it cost to backpack Europe?

Planning your backpacking trip to Europe is fraught with the usual dilemmas. Choosing your backpack, what places do you visit, will I make friends… and the list goes on. While those questions were easy enough to answer one major sticking point for me was just how much money I’d need to backpack Europe on my first solo trip abroad. I was as green as the grass when it came to travel and backpacking so I wanted to know EVERYTHING.

I knew everyone would travel differently so a basic idea on how much I would spend each day was all the over thinker in me needed to be happy. The answer never came however, and I set off for Europe praying I could afford it. I didn’t want that kind of unknown for people following in the same dreams as me so over my 2 month jaunt around Europe I took notes of my daily expenses and then blogged about them.

Some thirteen countries later I’d created the breakdown on just how much it cost me to backpack Europe over the summer of 2010. For detailed info on each city follow the links below.
Paris – Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Helsinki – Tallinn – Riga – Vilnius – Warsaw & Krakow – Prague – Munich – Florence – Naples

To make life easier I’ve also put all the figures together and outlined my expenses for each city in the table below. Comparing each city here as I added up the figures was really interesting and you can see just how prices vary as you circle around Europe.

Now that’s the costs for all of my expenses on the road out of the way. The final totals for my trip looks something like this:

And there you have it. My trip around Europe (minus 5-6 days I spent going crazy along the Amalfi Coast) came in at a total of $5721.09 AUD. I’ve omitted the cost of flights in and out of Europe as that can change on a regular basis, everything else however is in there. To get more detailed breakdowns be sure to follow the city links further up because I document exactly what I spent the money on including entry fees to museums and other sites.

I’ve included today’s currency conversion rates just to help people get an idea on what it may cost you to travel now. Prices will have changed in the countries since I left so don’t hold me to it please. I will however love it if you can update me on any or all pricing as you travel so I can keep this information as relevant as possible.

This post is the first time I’ve tallied up the total costs of the trip since finishing it this time last year and honestly I expected it to cost more for some reason. Considering the drinking and the fun I had while seeing so many major cities right across Europe I know now that you could do your trip cheaper and much more expensive. For me it was about enjoying myself so I made sure I never went without (except for the AK47 shooting tour in Riga) and will honestly say it was money well spent.

I can only hope that this information will help to serve others trying to plan for and take their own backpacking trip around Europe. I’ve tried to detail everything I wanted to know as a would be backpacker still planning my trip at home but if I have left something out feel free to ask I don’t bite.

Lastly just remember this information will only ever be a guide because you wont travel Europe like I did. It’s a starting point to base your travels and budget around. It is in no way the holy grail for of backpackers budget guides to  Europe.

*Notes
Estonia now trades in Euro’s. From what I have heard the costs have increased slightly so my costs should still be roughly in-line with living costs.

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Paris Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Munich Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Naples Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Florence Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Helsinki Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Does It Cost To Backpack Europe. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

Naples Naples Naples…. I wanted to love you and that delicious melt-in-your-mouth pizza but I just couldn’t. After so much beauty in Florence, you just felt like the ugly cousin of the family I’m afraid. The up side of this is I didn’t explore as much as I should have so saved a little coin just relaxing and doing a little people watching along the shoreline.

This was the end of the line for my Eurail pass as I paid the last reservation fee to use it. My whole trip I resented paying reservation fees for a pass that cost a considerable about of money to begin with so expect a post about that soon now that I’ve covered off on all of its costs.

My second day in Naples saw me head out to Herculaneum and Pompeii on a day ticket (4.70 Euro). Getting the ticket from the small box of a building near my hostel was more difficult that finding the train but hey, by now I was used to the “I don’t speak your language you don’t speak mine” dance.

I wish my hostel in Naples wasn’t in Naples, it was so chill and the owners so much fun I really want to return. How’s this for just 15 Euro a night. Free breakfast, free wifi, free pasta Tuesday and thursday nights oh and lets not forget some of the coolest hostel owners I’d met so far. An older Italian couple where the husband is a joker and takes any chance to pay out on his wife (all in humor) and a wife who gives just as good as she gets. If I wasn’t laughing, I was relaxing in the common room watching some TV and talking to other backpackers.

My main reason for staying in Naples apart from the pizza of course, was Pompeii. On my first full day in Naples I stopping off at Herculaneum (entry fee 9 Euro) on my way to Pompeii which is 11 Euro. Herculaneum is great but Pompeii is just crazy huge. Just remember to take a hat, sunscreen and lots of water with you because you can’t escape the sun and the food vendors outside the site charge like a wounded bull. You have to make a day of it and unlike me try and get some sort of map or tour guide to point out the interesting spots. I just wandered around like a lost little boy for hours amusing myself

In Naples I also caught an underground tour of the old aqueduct’s which was rather interesting if a little expensive at 9.30 Euro before rounding out my sightseeing by handing over 7 Euro to enter Castle Nuovo. My tip skip the castle its got some old artwork and that’s pretty much it. You would only go if you wanted catch a view out over the gulf of Naples from the 3rd story balcony.

With free breakfast and free pasta for one of me nights in Naples I pretty much just feasted on pizza every other chance I got. You can’t really blame me either when you are paying 3 Euro plus 1.5 Euro for a beer and are getting served up something the size of a monster pizza back home, my tip order a basic like a margherita because good pizza doesn’t need extra toppings. Sadly the gelato in Naples did not live up to my expectations from Florence (it was hard to find too) so I had to go without.

I wouldn’t be a backpacker if I didn’t party just a little so that’s just what I did. My second night saw me hit a local establishment as we followed a staff member from the hostel out on the town. Beer was consumed, shots inhaled and I woke the next day with no money in my wallet, job done.

The third night was less than fun. Our once praised hostel staff member drove us out to some makeshift club by the coast and well it was what most guys would call a sausage fest. It was later revealed said hostel staffer was just trying to impress one of the hostel girls so we were glad the night ended early after we forced him to drive us all home.

As I’ve written before Naples failed to capture me. I know it wasn’t because my trip was about to end as my last few days on the Amalfi Coast were nothing short of crazy. I just wish I had that feeling of wanting to return like I do for so many other cities throughout Europe.

A total cost of 219.7 Euro or $323.06 AUD (at an exchange rate of 0.68 Euro = 1 AUD) over four days kept my average spend to $80.76 AUD a day. Not bad in my opinion and had I skipped out on the boozing it would have been well under that figure. But really… like I’d miss out on the chance for a beer.

Had I travelled to Naples now (June 2011) the total cost for the four days would have been $293.63 AUD. There is no arguing with the strength of the australian dollar at the moment so if you are planning to escape winter and seek out summer on the other side of the world there is no better time than now. The good times won’t last forever and you don’t want to be travelling when the dollar returns to its old 80 cents for every one US dollar now do you?

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Florence Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Berlin Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Helsinki Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Munich Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Tallinn Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Naples Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

Florence lured me in with the chance to meet a couple of travel friends, but what I found was so much more. The pizza, the gelato, the friends, the sheer beauty of the place. Oh and have I mentioned the gelato yet? It was clear my budget for Florence was going to be decided for me as the city took over.

I fell in love with Italy from that moment on and as I dwell over future travel plans I keep wanting to return there because it just felt right. Such a strange feeling given I wasn’t meant to have seen this part of Europe until some 12 months later.

As with all the beautiful cities I’ve been to so far, the best way to explore them is by foot which is great for anybodies budget. The streets just ooze “I’m an old old place” and while was easily lost in the maze of streets I didn’t care.

I was unlucky on my trip from Munich to Florence and had two trains to catch with very little change over time between them. As was my luck the first train ran very late and which forced into handing over an extra 10 Euro reservation fee. Had I know the train I had to catch for the last 2 hours to Florence was going to have its heater stuck on, there is no way I’d have ever paid.

I booked my hostel on the recommendation of one of my friends I was going to meet in Florence. It was just down the road from them and again not that far from my second friend I wanted to meet up with.

Overall the hostel was alright as long as you forget it had a 2am curfew and has a lockout from your rooms for cleaning between 10am and 2pm. With such amazing weather while I was there we had many nights out drinking so having to end the night so I could go to bed did slightly take away from all the fun. Especially when said friends started to joke about getting me home in time to be tucked in for the night.

Still there was free wifi, good showers, full kitchen with laundry facilities and as I was there during the World Cup a massive projector screen showing the games in the common room.

Florence turned into more of a relax with friends than an explore everything. I did however make time to stop in at the Boboli Gardens which is worth a visit if you can spare the 10 euro entry fee. I ended up spending all morning there just sitting around on the grass in the sun and taking in the view out over Florence.

The other attraction cost was going to the Accademia Gallery to see the David statue. A 1.5 hour wait and 10 euro later I was totally un-impressed. You are far better off checking out the replica at Palazzo della Signoria where you can take a photo and not be herded around inside the museum.

On the free side of things I stopped by the massive Duomo and climbed the endless amount of stairs to Piazzale Michelangelo and scored a great view at Florence from the opposite side of town to the Boboli Gardens.

I was also very lucky to catch a live band performance as my friend Annie’s boyfriends band were playing. The bonus of hanging out with locals as you travel.

Can you say PIZZA and GELATO.Oh dear lord did I enjoy both of these fine foods while in Florence. I’m pretty sure the poor woman at the gelato shop near me knew my name by the end of my stay but I didn’t care as it was so so good. I’d go back to Florence just for that as I’ve never had it better anywhere else in my life.

Pizza was the other big food for me. While I knew I’d be eating even more pizza in Naples I just couldn’t help it and hey I was in Italy it would be wrong not to get a good dose of it really… right? It wasn’t the cheapest but I’ve never had pizza’s so big and fresh before. Just ordering a margarita pizza left me full and my taste buds singing. Back home you would have had to order all the toppings in the world to make it worth your money.

I was socialising with some travel friends so beer was a big cost here, the rest went into my gelato addiction. It wasn’t cheap but I found that as my trip was winding down I knew I had money to play with so didn’t watch my budget as closely.

Everything about Florence is beautiful, in fact my first impressions of Italy were “how can I move here“. The five days wasn’t nearly long enough and I am going to use any excuse possible to get back there when I can. Some parts of the world just capture you and for me Italy is one of those spots.

A total cost of 308 Euro or $452.92 AUD (at an exchange rate of 0.68 Euro = 1 AUD) over the five days stayed just under budget with an average daily cost of $90.58 AUD a day.

As you can see from the day I only spent 31.5 Euro you can do cheap days by relaxing and just walking around. It really does come down to what you want to do while travelling. Some days its just nice to sit, relax and watch the people go past. You do this at home so why would you not do it in another country?

Had I travelled to Florence now (May 2011) the total cost for the 5 days would have been $410.91 AUD. Better by a few dollars as the Aussie dollar continues to boom against the rest of the world. If you are considering travel then do it now while the dollar is performing better than I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Naples Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Stockholm Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Riga Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Warsaw & Krakow Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Prague Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Florence Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

Munich was never on my radar as a place to stop for this trip but with all good backpacking adventures, plans always change. Instead of heading to Austria as originally planned I came here as it allowed the easiest path to my new destination in Italy and what would be the end of my trip around Europe.

Quickly made plans don’t always pans out well and as such I could only find 2 nights accommodation in this captivating city. Unlike Berlin where I was easily lost, Munich felt safer and easier to navigate from the start. It might have only been two days but the sun warmed my body and the beer cooled it down making me dream of returning.

Like all of my favourite cities visited to this point, I’ve used my feet to get around. The only travel costs I incurred were reservation fees for my Eurail pass. The first day was how much it cost me leaving Prague and the second was the one leaving Munich.

My accommodation choices were limited to a list of expensive hotels and just one hostel. Some major car conference was happening in Munich at the time of my arrival and the result of that meant finding a bed for the night was almost impossible. To add to my misfortune it was also a weekend and we all know how much busier these can get.

I got lucky with my hostel in the end but would have loved to have stayed longer. It had wifi, bar, laundry facilities and pretty darn comfortable dorm rooms.

I had just one full day to explore Munich so lined up a free walking tour (tipped 5 euro) and the evening pub crawl as the main events of the day. The walking tour was really good but I would have loved to catch the tour detailing Hitler’s story in Munich. I got such a small taste that it left me wanting to know more.

Between the tour and the pub crawl I also climbed the tower at St Peter’s Church for the cost of 2 euro to get a good look out over Munich.

The pub crawl cost 11 euro which walked a happy bunch of backpackers around to three different beer halls while providing the first stein free at each. Our reasonably small group allowed us to bond quickly which fuelled the fun we had on such a warm evening. Drinking games naturally occurred and by the time I crawled home there was grave concerns for my ability to be up early for the train to Italy.

To read about everything I saw and did in Munich including the Glockenspiel check out my post Munich in a day.

Food was little bits here and there as I was always on the move. My favourite meal however was stopping at Hofbrauhaus for lunch after the walking tour. Crispy pork knuckle and potato dumplings sure go down a treat with a nice cold stein of their finest. It wasn’t really cheap at 15 euro but really how can you not want to stop at the Hofbrauhaus when in Munich.

Some snacks along the way,  extra beer on the pub crawl and a souvenir bottle opener from the great beer city were my only other expenses. I’d have loved a stein to take with me but they were just too big and I didn’t fancy my chances of not breaking it between here and London.

I loved my very short stay in Munich but it kicked a big old hole in my planed expenditure. I put part of that down to having been travelling through the cheaper eastern half of Europe and my inability to sacrifice a good time over a bit of money. I’m travelling for fun and to enjoy myself not lock myself away after lunch time because I reached the spending limit for the day.

A total cost of 158 Euro or $232.34 AUD (at an exchange rate of 0.68 Euro = 1 AUD) over the two days exploded my recent below expected average daily cost out too $116.17 AUD a day.

I know my short stop does have an effect on this as had I stayed longer my activities would have been spaced out over time. Still it was a bit of a shock and it quickly reminded me of the vast variations in costs you will meet while travelling around Europe.

Had I travelled to Munich now (May 2011) the total cost for the 2 days would have been $210.66 AUD. A little better for the wallet but still on the high side for such a short stay.

I can only imagine how much Munich would hurt your bank balance around Oktoberfest time but when the surroundings are this beautiful city and you have beer that goes down oh so well, it’s hard to deny the cost isn’t worth it.

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Berlin Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Florence Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Helsinki Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Tallinn Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Brussels Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Munich Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

It starts with the winding streets that lure you into the Old Town Square where on a sunny day I could have sat all day and people watched. From the Old Town you are lead out across Charles Bridge and up to the stunning Prague Castle that is a sight to see during the day let along at night from the bridge. Oh and let’s not forget they know how to make a beer here as well.

To put it simply Beautiful + Cheap = Prague

I had a hostel booked not far from the train station which in turn is not far from all the action so it was down to my feet to get around. Thinking about it now, I covered a fair bit of ground in Prague especially on the day I visited the Castle. With every view a postcard moment just waiting to have its picture taken I didn’t complain.

The only transport  was a train out to Kutna Hora on a tour but that cost was built into my fee so doesn’t really count and I haven’t a clue how much that cost anyway.

Prague has a bit of a reputation for a party town and after Krakow I wasn’t really looking for that. Unfortunately I ended up in a party hostel anyway so dealt with noisy drunks running through my room at all hours.

Otherwise I had free breakfast and free wifi reception throughout the building which for around the $20 AUD mark made it doable. The advantage over some of the other backpackers I met in Prague was that I could walk into the centre of the Old Town in around 20min while the rest had a bit of a trip so I guess you take a bit of a hit for convenience.

Over three days I was fairly active in the exploring department. I arrived at 7am the first morning so after resting up at the hostel for a bit I caught up with the 11am free walking tour around Prague (Tip at your leisure). It was here I learnt about the day trip they run to Kutna Hora where the Bone Chapel is located. At just on $40 AUD it was a little on the expensive side but honestly the day turned into an amazing one and was worth every cent (We all fell asleep on the train back to Prague).

Had I attempted it on my own I’d have missed stopping at a stunning church and a local meal from a pub where I got to sample some mead for the first time. Re-thinking the ground we covered I know for a fact I’d have got lost seeking out the Bone Chapel in the process of it all.

My last day saw me visit Prague Castle where I didn’t pay a cent. I got the impression I was supposed to pay to enter the Cathedral there but nobody stopped me so why hand over the coin. Most other sections of the Castle were closed for some reason so I’m glad I’d not booked a tour of the entire complex but in saying that it would have been great to hear about the history of the site from someone with a bit of an idea.

Prague was burn your skin hot so much beer and ice cream was consumed while exploring. As breakfast was free I had spare money but instead of splashing out too much I tried out a couple of local restaurants with vouchers from my hostel.

Lastly if I ever go back to Prague and for the rest of you deciding to go there, a stop off to buy a Trdelník is a must. I didn’t eat nearly enough of these and think if I lived there they would easily added to my ever-growing stomach. It’s basically dough rolled around a rolling-pin and cooked up before it’s rolled around in sugar. How could that not be delicious? (Check out my Seeing Prague Castle post for pictures)

Due to the warm weather I stopped for drinks both alcoholic and not through my stay. Partly for an excuse to get out of the sun and partly because it was just good beer. There was no crazy nights out here just relaxed slow travel where I could stop and drink a beer while sitting on the steps that lead up to the Castle or enjoy a cold bottle of water in the shade of the trees surrounding the Old Town Square.

I can see why Prague has fast become a MUST for so many, it combines beauty with a cheap stay. I was never worried about spending money and until now really hadn’t paid attention to what I’d paid during my visit.

With a total cost of 3300 Czech Koruna or $186 AUD (at an exchange rate of 17.74 Koruna = 1 AUD) I stuck to an average of $62 AUD a day. When you consider I paid for an all day tour and didn’t hold back with regards to buying food or drinks as I went that’s super cheap.

Had I travelled to Prague now (April 2011) the total cost for the 3 days would have been $186 AUD. Yep the Australian dollar is still on par with the Czech Koruna and while I can only imagine Prague is getting more popular I can’t see local prices sky rocketing that much.

I don’t know where my plans will take me once my visa for the UK expires but I do know if I’m left with a choice of places to spin my heels for a month or two then Prague will be right up their fighting for top spot. I’ve only seen such a small part of the country but going on what I know so far…  a month or two in the Czech Republic may just not be long enough.

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Munich Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Stockholm Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Riga Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Warsaw & Krakow Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Florence Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Prague Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

Oh Poland I adore you. Some countries I just wanted to see. Not for any particular reason, something just clicked inside and said you know what I can’t wait to see Poland. The 10 hour over night bus ride from Vilnius almost killed me but Poland put it all right. With just a one night stay in Warsaw (wish it had been longer) and a few days spent in Krakow with a traveller I met in Stockholm it was only the rain that got in my way.

Transport in Poland…. Well for one my Global Eurail Pass was allowed and then it wasn’t (only country specific Eurail passes work for Poland). Turns out it should never have been allowed but oh well you get that. Not so much fun frantically trying to find some money to pay for a ticket as you are exiting a country so here is a tip, always carry some Euro’s for emergencies it saved me getting kicked off a train and into the rain at a train station in no mans land.

Krakow was also my first time ever catching a taxi abroad. Normally I just wander around lost for hours until finding my way but when it’s pouring rain and I don’t even know the right direction to be heading you just hop in the taxi parked right in front of you, was 20 Zloty well spent if you ask me.

I’m always reluctant to name hostels I’ve stayed at on my blog but I do want to mention the hostels I used in Warsaw and Krakow because they were great. If you are in either I suggest you look up Nathan’s Villa Hostels in both locations.

In Warsaw as I arrived dog tired and all but slumped on the reception counter the beautiful receptionist took pity on me and upgraded my room to one that was empty so I could grab 40 winks. Everything about the place was great from the gated entry to the super hot showers.

Krakow was even more off the hook. Drinking sessions with the aussie lads in the bar and even sharing a few vodka’s with the man himself of Nathan’s Villas. The hostel just says party with the bar/pool table/mini cinema all downstairs in the basement and vodka served straight from the freezer like it should be.

My only gripe was the wifi wouldn’t work for my Mac but did for everything else. Still I’d stay there again without even questioning it, sometimes its about more than the free wifi.

In Warsaw I stomped my way up Royal Road, grabbed a massive meal (with 1 Litre Beer) in the center of the Old Town, climbed St Anne’s Tower (4 Zloty) and finished off with a tour through the Castle (5 Zloty). Not bad for a day’s activities if I do say so myself.

Krakow saw me visit Auschwitz. Getting there yourself is much cheaper and its a breeze to do so you’d be silly to book a tour. It was 4 Zloty for the return bus trip from the local bus station and 20 Zloty for the tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau.

I also visited the Old Synagogue (15 Zloty which included charge to takes pictures) in the Jewish Quarter and strolled around the grounds of Wawel Castle. Unfortunately Schindler’s Factory was having restoration work done so I couldn’t visit but I’d love to make the time on another trip.

Warsaw opened my eyes to 1 Litre beers but that was about it. Krakow on the other hand was a different story. I had a feast cooked up by the hostel my first night and then went on to have dumplings, some hotdog concoction, a lovely restaurant meal and finally a very interesting dish from the small cafe at Auschwitz.

The masterpiece was the Zapiekanka which I only discovered on my final day there. I’m going to blame the boys in the hostel bar for not informing me about that one.

Oh dear I don’t even know how to start here. Warsaw was a few beers with the Dutch girls I met in Vilnius. We crashed this party they had heard about which turned out to be a complete waste of time and then couldn’t find anything open after midnight to serve us booze so called it a night.

Krakow… oh how you tested my liver more than anything in my life. I’d only been there about 4 hours and already I was playing drinking games with an English stag party. It only went down hill from there really. More beer, strip clubs and a vague recollection of a cash machine run driven there by a patron at one of the strip clubs. My tip avoid English stag parties at all costs because as you can see from my table above I spent nothing the day after due to severe hungoverness.

If someone said lets go to Poland this weekend I’d find the money even if I didn’t have it. I was won over by the people I met and everything I saw. In the end I needed to leave so my poor liver could survive otherwise I’d have stayed even longer.

With a total cost of 1270 Zloty or $453.54 AUD (at an exchange rate of 2.80 Zloty = 1 AUD) I stuck to an average of $75.59 AUD a day which had it not been for that bender with the English lads would have been much less. Still you have to go crazy in the cheaper places, image what that would have cost me in Paris or Stockholm of all places.

Had I travelled to Poland now (April 2011) the total cost for the 6 days would have been $432.87 AUD.

I really enjoyed my time in Poland and having a friend to tour around with in Krakow was an extra bonus as Auschwitz wasn’t a place I’d really have wanted to see solo (Read my post about Auschwitz here). If I was to do the time again I’d allow more time for Warsaw as well. Nothing was expensive and I missed out on some sights that I had never even known about till I got there.

Even with a good few days in Krakow I missed seeing the Salt Mines and spending enough time in the Old Town area. Again I’ll blame the booze for some of that but the rain also played a part. I know there are some countries I’ll go back too because I just didn’t stay long enough for but Poland I’d go back just because.

Nothing at all to do with the vodka…..

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Vilnius Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Prague Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Stockholm Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Riga Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Florence Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Warsaw & Krakow Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

Arriving in Vilnius I assumed it would be a similar story to Tallinn and Riga on my trip down through the Baltic States. As I wandered from the bus station down the streets to my hostel I got the distinct impression time was moving much slower here. Buildings appeared to show their age as cracks slithered up the walls like snakes while the hostel staff were so blase about booking me in I got the impression I was somehow getting in the way.

The bus to Vilnius was just as comfortable as the one to Riga and cost almost exactly the same as it too (55 Litas). I also pre-purchased my overnight bus ride to Warsaw (105 Litas) because what was planned as a relaxing few days to catch up on rest turned into an I-need-to-escape-my-hostel situation. It’s a shame I ended up leaving Vilnius early but sometimes it’s just easier than dealing with the situation at hand.

Worst hostel I’ve ever stayed in and certainly not worth the 50 Litas a night it cost me. Luckily I was travelling with a friend from Riga or I’d have been worried about staying there. The only people booked in appeared to be middle age alcoholics and even then it was an empty shell of a place. Never had I seen a kitchen in a hostel empty at night time.

Add to all of that my room smelt like it had been locked up for months with a pile of dirty old socks left in the corner. Luckily it was located at the opposite end of the drinkers and had a window to try and suck the smell out (it didn’t work). Wifi was non-existant almost and overly complicated to use. My advice if you find yourself in Vilnius don’t book the AAA Hostel.

A free walking tour around the town including Uzupis was a great way to find out about this town I was in. It also highlighted just how much Vilnius seems to be behind its neighbours in terms of development in the old town (the high street however was as fancy as any in London).

I also stopped in at the University (5 Litas) to look around their courtyards but was left rather disappointed and also the Natural History Museum (5 Litas) which had a great display of clothing and artifacts if you are into that sort of thing.

I can say eating out in Vilnius was a treat. Mouth watering food and extremely cheap, I never even considered cooking in my hostel (not that I was game too). The feeling of sitting down in a relaxed restaurant like you would find in your local trendy locations and handing over just 70 Litas ($30 AUD) for a two course meal including drinks just can’t be denied.

Some extra drinks, a bottle opener for my collection and a stock up on toiletries was the majority of my spend here. The hostel was empty of life and having drank more than enough in Riga so my travelling friend and I took it nice and easy.

Vilnius failed to win me over and what was meant to be 4 days turned into 3 as I left on an overnight bus a day early just to escape. With a total cost of 539.40 Litas or $226.62 AUD (at an exchange rate of 2.38 Litas = 1 AUD) I managed to stick to an average of $75.54 AUD a day. As almost a third of my costs in Vilnius related to transport I can say things definitely worked out on the cheaper side.

Had I travelled to Lithuania now (March 2011) the total cost for the 3 days would have been $214.04 AUD.

My time in Vilnius was tainted by a bad hostel stay, I can’t deny that. Had there been others around to explore with and share a bit of fun I know it would have been a different story. I’d love to head back at some stage to have a second look around and make a real judgement but for now I just can’t find the desire like I have for other places around Europe.

I want to say more about my stay here but failing some good food and a few interesting sights (you can read about my stay in Vilnius starting with my Arriving in Vilnius post) I don’t have the fond memories like I do of places like Tallinn, Berlin or Paris.

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Warsaw & Krakow Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Berlin Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Helsinki Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Riga Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Prague Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Vilnius Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

Saying goodbye to Tallinn and my cheapest budget to date I boarded a bus bound for Riga where the currency to follow is the Latvian Lat. A deceiving currency given its conversion rate to the aussie dollar, made worse still due to my over indulgence in alcohol at the hostel bar.

It wasn’t all down to my reduced functionality though, Riga is top English Stag Territory and as such prices seem to be on the up and up for one and all. I’m all for a good time but those stag party boys just seem to loose all sense of brain function at times, luckily I arrived on the Sunday and avoided most of their antics and got to enjoy my time here with some more interesting backpackers.

A 4-5 hour bus ride to Riga on the fanciest bus I’ve ever seen set me back 12.40 Lats. Given the free wifi and coffee machine for the entire trip I’d say I really was on a bargin at $25 AUD (Check out LUX Express if your travelling in that area).

Otherwise Riga is all about getting your walk on and its well worth it. I saw some beautiful buildings and sights just roaming the streets.

The first night was slightly more (9 Lats) compared to the rest of my stay (6.9 Lats) due to it being a weekend. Run by an Aussie and his Latvian girlfriend I had a ball staying here thanks to the other hostel folk. The poor weather forced me to spent more time inside than I did outside so it was great to have a really relaxed place to hang out. On the second night the hostel owners even sprung for pizza so how can you go wrong?

It was very much a party hostel but saying that my only real annoyance was the showers could have done with a bit more ventilation (gotta love drying yourself and feeling like your getting nowhere).

Poor weather really drowned out my will to explore but I did make time for the free walking tour (Tipped 10 Lats) and a look into the Occupation Museum (free entry). Oh and I had to take a look up the only building (Latvian Academy of Sciences) in Riga that still has the Hammer and Sickle left over from Soviet times (0.5 lats entry).

I covered all the bases in the food department while in Riga. Cheap take out, cooking at the hostel and eating out at a traditional local restaurant. The best meal by far was the local restaurant but don’t ask me what I ate as I still don’t have a clue, I think it was better that way to be honest.

Continuing my boozing ways from Estonia I found myself drinking till morning my first night with an Irish group. The second night saw another group of us drink the hostel dry of beer by 1am which on the up side got us free Apple Pie shots (delicious) and a much needed early-ish night. The final night found a group of us enjoying a couple of brews a top the SkyBar before relaxing at the hostel again with their topped up beer supply.

At around 30 Lats for the 3 days ($62.5AUD) you’d think wow you lightweight I spend more than that in one night out drinking. The thing is, a beer was costing me around 0.6 Lats or less so thats a little over $1 AUD a go. Now you see the problem my liver was under?

Three rather wet days in Riga put a dent in my overall experience so you would think I spent very little. The reality was I spent a lot more than I ever realised as the total came in at  127.7 Lats or 266.03 AUD (at an exchange rate of 0.48 Lats = 1 AUD). An average of  $88.76 AUD a day which when you compare it to my Paris Budget was almost identical and a long way off the cheap $50 AUD a day I had just spent in Tallinn. Crazy given I was in Eastern Europe where you normally associate things as cheap huh.

As a guide comparing my expenses to today’s exchange rate, leaving Australia now (March 2011) it would have cost me $249.52 AUD.

Looking at it now my hostel was costing me on average nearly $16 AUD a night, the bus trip to Riga was $25 AUD and then you have all the food I consumed along with the drink and it did add up quick. I sure do regret tipping 10 Lats for the free walking tour now and can only think I thought it was $5 AUD and not really the $20 that it turned out to be as I really didn’t like the guide.

Regardless I had fun in the end and had I not been drinking so hard I could easily have gotten away with a lot less. I might have even been tempted enough to try out the AK47 shooting tour at 35 Lats if I’d been a good boy and not boozed my money away.

If I was to look at it from a  Cost vs Fun Had scenario then I believe I got away cheaply. Of all the fun things I got up to how can you beat sitting in the common room of your hostel with people from Germany, England, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and me the solo Aussie as we laugh our heads off at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Vilnius Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Helsinki Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Berlin Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Stockholm Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Tallinn Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Riga Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.

I need to preface this post with the fact that the dear old Estonian Kroon (EEK) that existed when I travelled is no more. As of January 2011 Estonia joined the majority of EU countries and adopted the Euro as the currency of choice. What does that mean? Well I can no longer guarantee pricing against what things cost when I visited last year.

Estonia was to be one of many countries that would help keep my budget down to a respectable number. In fact when I first started to map out the places I wanted to visit, I factored in how things would be expensive in one country and then cheaper in another for balance.

With its own currency in the Kroon I felt like everything was costing a fortune, but really that was far from the truth. Along with perfect beer drinking weather I also spied some of the most beautiful women in my life here and no folks that wasn’t just because of all the beer I was to consume. Estonia was to break the mold on what I though European cities were all about.

I had no transport costs here, everything was within walking distance when you are living near the Old Town. The one time that I needed to catch local transport I managed to escape the cost as the hostel owner drove me and a friend there and gave us free trolleybus tickets to get home.

The hostel was cheap, really cheap (145 EEK or just under 10 Euro at the time) but not cheap as in bad. The place was clean, it had massive showers (locker room style), free computers to use the internet or free wifi for your own, a great big flat screen TV and not to forget a nice little kitchen with all the cooking utensils you’ll ever need.

It was by far the best hostel I had stayed at to date for facilities vs cost vs everything and by the time it came ready to leave I really didn’t want to go. The staff joined in on a vodka drinking session one night and even made me some good old ham and cheese toasted sandwiches. Pretty cool or what??

Just strolling around the Old Town was an attraction in itself. On my journey so far I’d not really come across anything like Tallinn before so taking the free walking tour (Tipped 100 EEK) was a great chance to see a lot of it and the tour guide I had loved their city.

As well as the tour I climbed St. Olaf’s Church (30 EEK) which had an amazing view and I also visited the Open Air Museum (95 EEK) on the other side of town which houses a variety of old buildings similar to Skansen in Stockholm.

With a kitchen better setup than in my last flat back home I headed to the supermarket for supplies. Living on a pasta concoction just about every night with toast and fruit for breakfast I had never been so proud of myself.

Lunch was the only meal I didn’t cook but even then I ate well as I stopped at a couple of different local restaurants with other backpackers.

Hmm lets see… out of four nights in Tallinn I was out drinking like a fish on three of them and as such my misc cost are 75% beer 25% food. From the bottle of Vodka we bought (Tip buy the bottles that you can’t read the labels of) to the beers consumed it’s surprising I wasn’t hungover everyday.

I only spent four days in Tallinn but could have easily spent two weeks or more. In four days I spent a total of 2155 Kroon or 199.55 AUD (at an exchange rate of 10.80 Kroon = 1 AUD). An average of almost $50 AUD a day which given my excess drinking is extremely cheap no matter how you look at it. I can see why it’s becoming such a hot tourist stop off and unfortunately a drop off point for many English stag weekends.

To compare the costs to today’s exchange rate, leaving Australia now (Feburary 2011) it would have cost you $187.39 AUD. Unfortunately as I mentioned at the beginning of this post Estonia now operates under the Euro and as such I cannot tell you how that has affected prices. To give you a possible idea and this is only a straight currency conversion it would have cost me 137.78 Euro (Exchange rate of 1 Euro = 15.64 EEK) when I visited in May last year.

Did I love Estonia? You bet I did. It was cheap, fun, impressively beautiful and that’s just from seeing Tallinn. I arrived knowing nothing but what Lonely Planet had told me as I’d never found a blogger who had been there before and written a great deal about it. I think that was part of the allure, set foot where no man had gone before kinda deal.

The East of Europe really is very different to the West and with this being my first real taste of it I’d have to say I was in love. Sure it was touristy but step outside the Old Town wall and you began to see more of what the towns past really evolved from. The public transport system, buildings and shops, everything was far from as polished as places you find to the West.

Overall that made it that much more interesting, a visit to the little supermarket down the road was an adventure as the shelves were filled with products I couldn’t make out. Beer in great big plastic bottles, meat that even I a butcher’s son wouldn’t eat and more.

Tallinn left me wanting to go back and I really hope I get the chance.

Related posts:

1. How Much Did It Cost – Berlin Budget
2. How Much Did It Cost – Helsinki Budget
3. How Much Did It Cost – Munich Budget
4. How Much Did It Cost – Vilnius Budget
5. How Much Did It Cost – Florence Budget

Thanks for checking out my post - How Much Did It Cost – Tallinn Budget. For more of the same head on over to my blog The Aussie Nomad and check out all of my other travel articles.